Tiger's Claws
by Dreamshadow102
Summary: <html><head></head>Major J. Whitlock has escaped from the clutches of Maria... only to fall into those of the Tiger. But Bella Swan isn't the only problem Jasper has to face. After all, the Volturi are never far away and they're wondering where the God of War has gotten to...</html>
1. Chapter 1

She moved with the grace of a tiger, lithe and sleek. All the men couldn't tear their gazes from her as she pranced and twisted on the dance floor, mahogany hair flying, skin strangely pale, eyes sparkling. The strapless black dress she wore reached to mid-thigh revealing creamy white, mile- long legs; a red belt encircled her waist, encrusted with a brass buckle; knee- high black boots encased her lower legs and hand-less black gloves contrasted with her porcelain complexion. A red neck-tie finished off her outfit. She was the definition of hot.

The Wild West diner had been transformed into a dance floor, glitter and lights decorated the interior while flashing fairy lights danced outside. To a naked human eye the scene was bright. To the supernatural it was blinding. The young man leant against the wall outside had his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he observed the dancing beauty.

Maria would pay for his suffering. Oh she would. But for that he needed the tiger. And the tiger had claws...

Bella Swan was in the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tiger's Claws was just a random idea I had. I have no idea where it's gonna go so expect random stuff.**

**Bella POV.**

I could see Major Whitlock loitering outside but that didn't mean to say I had to go say hi to him. I was quite content to stay here and watch him get more and more impatient as he waited for me to depart the diner. But that suited me just fine. I didn't hurry to the whim of anyone, not even my own father; he had learnt that a long time ago. When he'd refused to accept my independence I'd taken drastic measures to silence him. If shooting first his best friend and then threatening him counted. Cruel? I don't think so. There's plenty of people out there who wouldn't have hesitated so I'm not quite as heartless as you may think, contrary to most people's beliefs. People called me the Tiger and that, also, suited me just fine. Nicknames can precedent you, make you known, make you feared. That was my main aim in life; make people fear me and on the odd occasion wind them up as a possible contender. A contender for my long frozen heart. So now you see. I couldn't care less that the infamous Major J. Whitlock was hanging; he could wait or he could piss off. Simple.

My story is a long one. Long and sorrowful and hate-filled. But it made me who I am today so I suppose I owe it an ounce of thanks. I warn you, I don't give thanks often. I've thanked two people in my life; a blind beggar and my dead grandmother. Cheerful, huh? But I'm not a very cheerful person, contrary to what everyone else thinks.

I grew up in Galveston, Texas and at that time the Civil War was only just starting and we all had slaves to do our dirty work. Back then I didn't see the problem with it; I was a spoilt child and I liked to think I was the best at everything. My father was the Mayor of Galveston and he spent most of his tome holed up in the Town Hall, conversing with his advisers and generally ignoring them. Charlie Swan. Everyone knew his name. And on the day my father accepted the position, the first seeds of bitterness were planted in my heart.

Mother and I lived alone in our well-furnished house on the outskirts of Galveston. I had a nanny, several nannies, in fact, as my mother found me bothersome and a nuisance; a waste of space if ever there was one, she once said. But I didn't care. Exactly like I don't care now. My upbringing is the reason I'm so unfeeling now, why my heart while physically being frozen, soulfully is frozen.

My father saw to it that I was home-schooled; he didn't want an un-educated ragamuffin as a daughter. Showed how much he cared. I won't pretend that I wasn't smart becuase I was. I was the envy of all the children in town; how they wished they were me. I couldn't disagree more. Every afternoon, on my daily walks around the streets, I saw all the other kids of the town laughing with their parents and generally having a great time, not a care in the world. I was green with envy. Envy at the way their parents looked at them, with eyes sparkling with adoration, beautific smiles upon their face. My heart ached to have Renee and Charlie look at me like that but that was wishful thinking on my part. As if they could ever think about someone other than themselves. I hated them for it. I shouldn't have been talking like that at my age but that was the monster I was, I won't deny it.

At the tender age of fifteen I had had my mother torn away from me. And I can't say that I wasn't bothered by her death. It affected me deeply and I just sunk deeper into the pits of insanity that raged in my mind. I'd left behind the innocence of my childhood and though I was only in my mid-teens I was a fully-fledged women. That was what had led to my shooting of Billy Black. My father had refused to accept I was ready to ove on, go someplace else and get away from the bitter memories that Galveston held. He wouldn't listen and the night he tried to stop me was the night I became a killer.

I won't go into any detail, it was pretty messy and rough. But hey, I got my way in the end.

From Galveston, I fled to San Antonio, seeking to start my life anew. Sadly, I was mistaken in my dream. The night I arrived I was wandering the streets, searching for a place, any place that would willingly lodge me. I had the added concern of my appearance; no doubt my father would have placed a price on my head and I wasn't eager to be caught. It was as I crossed the crossroads between South Street and Brackam Way that they cornered me.

I can remember being startled by their beauty and then almost immediately feeling jealous. There'd been three of them; a woman and two men. The woman had dark, ebony ringlets that framed a pale face with a slight olive complexion. Her clothing was that of finest Mexican cotton and lace. The two men flanking her were similar in height and skin tone with one just being an inch or so higher than the other. The taller had dirty blond hair that reached down to his chin and looked to be some sort of military officer, if his clothes were anything to go by. The shorter had longish, silver-blonde hair and was dressed more simply; just a cotton shirt and wranglers. The only feature thay all shared was the eyes. As if I didn't notice. Crimson. The colour of blood. And even then I could see Billy Black's tortured face staring up at me from the grave. I was strangley calm and only the thudding of my beating heart gave away me trepidation. the woman looked at me almost fondly, her scarlet eyes roving the width of my stature. When she spoke, I flinched at the bell-like tone it held, a sound I hadn't been expecting.

"I believe this is the girl they've been going on about, Major," she said. I backed away, all fear gone.

"No!" I exclaimed, "You're not taking me back, I'm never ever going back there!"

She merely laughed. Laughed. And then the insanity starting creeping back, no matter how I fought it. And the crazy part of my brain took over.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, hope I'm not boring you. Hre's the next chapter. Review! Fave! And Follow! PLease! You have no idea how much it means to have your work appreciated.**

**DISCLAIMER:- All characters belong to the fantastic Stephanie Meyer, I'm just playing with them and jumbling it all up a bit.**

**Bella POV.**

When I look back on it now, I really can't see what motivated me to slap the woman; I knew something had been off about them, unnatural I'd go as far to say, my gut instinct told me at least that. But seriously? She'd hit me hard and I didn't intend to take it easy; before I knew what I was doing, my fist connected with her perfect, grinning face before white hot pain like fire shot through my arm. I refused to scream, being the headstrong girl I was, and instead settled for growling and letting the tears slide down my cheeks.

"You bitch!" I howled through the red haze that was blinding me. She laughed aagin. Laughed. I very nearly punched her but the rational part of my brain finally decided to take over.

"Language, sweetie!" she chided softly. I glared at her, willing her to explode in a plume of a fire. My wish wasn't granted. God, I must have been a bad child.

"I do believe you're Isabella Swan, hmm?" she said, raising an arched eyebrow. I didn't answer. I didn't trust myself not to say something I'd regret later.

"I'll take that as a yes."

She smirked, "There is a handsome price on your head, my dear, and I'm in desperate need of money." She looked at me sympathetically,

"I'm sure you understand."

"Piss off!" I swore angrily," I'm not going anywhere!" Her face changed in an instant; from smiling to one of mocking cruelty.

"Oh but my dear, you will do whatever I say," she hissed and her two guards stepped closer. I backed away even further; even my crazed brain knew that they meant me harm.

"Look, please, I'm sorry, just let me go, I swear I won't say anything, " I say, but it's futile, they have me cornered. The fear is beginning to sink in and the tall blonde one smiles slightly, like he knows I'm literally peeing myself.

"Don't laugh at me, " I protest childishly and a smirk appears on his face.

"Can we just get this over and done with, Maria darlin'?" he asked, bored. The woman, Maria, pouted,

"Oh, but Jasper, you know I love it when they put up a fight!" He nuzzled her neck and she giggled lightly, her eyes fluttering close.

"Fine! If you must! But you have to give me something in return," she winked, her eyes glittering suggestively. Jasper laughed,

"Oh darlin', I will thoroughly ravish you tonight."

She hummed in appreciation and I fought the urge to gag. Jasper stalked toward me, a cruel smirk on his face and a nod to the other man, who placed himself behind me. For a second, Jasper's eyes flickered with sympathy and something else unreadable but then they resumed their coldness and that was the last thing I saw before the white hot burning pain filled my entire being filled me, setting my fingertips on fire. I screamed but it was quickly muffled by a hand and so I could only suffer in silence.

I could hear voices but I was in too much agony to register what they were saying. Curse them! Curse the bastards!

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><p><strong>Three Days Later<strong>

The sun burned down on the Texas plains with a stubborn ferocity known only by those who refuse to give up, even though the task is pointless. The yellow grass was like a haystack and grew in clumps around the camp, wild and untamed. In the distance rocky cliffs reared their heads to the sky, that was so clear and blue, not a single cloud in sight.

The camp was near empty and silent save the muffled screams coming from the red command tent.

Major Jasper Whitlock sat, utterly bored as he waited for the newborn to awake. The rest had gone hunting with Maria and Peter, and he'd been shouldered with dealing with the girl when she awoke, a task, which, he wasn't looking forward to as she didn't seem to be very co-operative. He couldn't deny she was attractive: a heart-shaped face with pink, pouty lips and flyaway mahogany hair would be considered beautiful by many men but he was loyal to Maria, and Maria alone. Sighing, he took another look at her profile and then back at the ID card he'd found in her bag. There had been several: Mary Alice Brandon, Rosalie Hale, Esme Platt, Jessica Stanley, Angela Webber and... Isabella Swan. The runaway teenager who'd last been seen at Billy Black's death scene. The rumours went that she'd shot him but he couldn't quite believe it. These days you could never trust anything anyone said. Tossing the card back into the pile he looked at her again. She'd make for a fine newborn if she could keep her mouth shut and follow orders, something which he doubted immensely, given the mouthful she'd given him, Peter and Maria back at San Antonio. Ah well; it was refreshing to have a challenge once in a while.

Standing up, he stretched his legs and turned around to admire the way the sun shone like a diamond in the sky. He extended a hand into the light and was once again mesmerised to see it sparkle like glitter in the sun, a change that had never ceased to astound him since he'd become a vampire. Smiling slightly, he turned back to the shadow of the tent. He could hear the girl's heart picking up speed as it fought to pump the venom in her veins around her body. He winced, remembering his own change, as horrible as it had been. A scream erupted from her mouth, causing him to flinch and tense preparing for the fight that was inevitably going to happen as soon as she woke; newborns were extremely volatile.

Another scream. Thud, thud. Scream. Thud, thud. Scream. Thud, thud. Scream. Thud...thud. Her heart faltered and her back arched off the cot as the pain became unbearable. Thud...thud...thud...thud...thud...thud. And then silence. Jasper froze as her eyes fluttered open, bright crimson and for a second child-like until she caught hold of his scent. And then mayhem broke out.

She leapt at him, teeth bared but he easily dodged, sweeping off her feet, all the while sending out waves of calm in an attempt to subdue her. It showed no signs of working; she carried on struggling harder than ever.

"Stop struggling now!" he growled menacingly in her ear, pressing her face first to the floor and his teeth by her neck. She froze, ignoring all her instincts and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Calm down Isabella, I won't hurt you," he reassured her. She stiffened as she realised the position she was in: underneath Jasper, pinned to the floor, his body covering hers. To say it was indecent would be an understatement.

"Get off me!" she hissed, feeling a blush burn her face. he looked unimpressed.

"You sure you're not going to attack me again, darlin'?" he asked doubtfully. She nodded reluctantly and he rolled off her, still prepared to dive and grab her. She glared at him, her crimson orbs narrowed.

"What did you do to me?" she demanded,"How is it I can hear everything, see everything, smell everything?" She paused and her hand went up to cup her throat, "And why does my throat hurt so much?"

He sighed: questions, questions, questions.

"To put it bluntly, you're no longer human, Isabella," he said finally. She frowned, "What on earth do you mean, I'm not human? If I'm not human, then, then what am I?" she finished hesitantly. Jasper figured there was no better time than the present.

"You're a vampire." She stood shell-shocked for a moment before she burst out laughing. He was unamused. She finally calmed down enough to look at him again and this time she looked slightly alarmed.

"Are you alright? Do you need to see the doctor?" she asked worriedly at his serious expression. He gritted his teeth; God, he hated it when they thought he was a headcase.

"You don't believe me," he stated coldly. She looked at him like he was dumb,

"Er, no?"

He didn't answer just reached for the table strewn with papers and picked up a small hand mirror.

"Be my guest," he said, handing her the mirror. She took it and a shriek burst from her. Then the hysteria came on and questions, more questions!

"What am I? Why are my eyes...? Who are you? Where am I? Where's Maria? Where's the other guy?"

He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"You're a vampire-"

"VAMPIRES DON'T EXIST?" she yelled, sobbing. He raised his hat so that his eyes were visible to her once more.

"Oh, but they really do."

"Why are your eyes like that too? Wait don't tell me, YOU'RE A VAMPIRE!" she shouted angrily. He stood bored.

"Correct." She spluttered to a halt.

"Wait, what?"

"I. Am. A. Vampire. Need it repeating?" he sneered.

"Unlike you, I'm not a mental headcase!" she raged, obviously recovered from her shock. He sighed again; she was every bit the trouble he'd predicted.

Eventually she seemed to settle for repeating,"It's not real. It's not real," over and over again.

"Look darlin', I assure you, you are a vampire and if you won't believe me then I'm not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise." She growled and he smirked.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do before the others get back from their hunt." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. The girl was full of questions; he'd be here forever!

"Others?" she asked suspiciously.

"The other vampires," he answered in a 'no duh!' voice.

"There's more than just you?" she frowned, her brows creasing together in a deep v.

"What you didn't think I had a whole camp to myself did you?" he laughed.

"I'm surprised you don't, your ego's so big," she snarked.

"Silence!" he barked. She obeyed, albeit reluctantly.

"Now, you can stay in here, or you can stay with me," he said.

"And if I don't want to do either? I ciuld just run out of here, couldn't I?" she challenged. The Major stopped and a cruel smile spread his face,

"Oh darlin', if you did that then I'd have to hunt you down and rip you to shreds and burn you to ashes." He left her, gulping but unwilling to back down.

"You'll never break me!" she hissed,"I've killed someone before!"

He laughed genuinely and turned around to bend down and whisper in her ear, "I accept the challenge. And you may have killed a man but I've killed hundreds so watch your back, Isabella-Marie."

He smirked and walked away leaving her speechless.

"The game is on, Miss Swan."...

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><p><strong>AN: And there is chapter 3, hope you like it. We've got a confrontation between the Major and Sasserella. Don't worry there'll be more of that before they realise they like each other. Please review readers!<strong>

**Dreamshadow102 :-)**


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